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(in her 40s)

Top Tunes From Musicals

So, here’s a little unknown fact about me. I love me a musical. I love all that singing and dancing at inexplicable moments. I love the cheesiness. I love how cheery musicals are quite often made about dire and disturbing subject matters (Oliver! is quite often described as cheerful, but is essentially about maternal mortality, orphans, homelessness, poverty, child exploitation, crime, prostitution, domestic violence, child abduction and murder. Oom-pah-pah indeed). I love the formulaic storylines. And love all that thigh slapping (who doesn’t?). But here’s a tough question. Which song out of all those heart rending/heartwarming musicals, is the best? I tried to make this a Top Ten, but as I am weak, it is a Top 15 instead. As always, there’s a little Spotify list at the end- a bumper playlist of 40 songs from musicals. Heres my personal favourite 15 songs from musicals in actual order this time.

15. Tradition– Fiddler on a Roof

14. And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going– Dreamgirls

13. The Man That Got Away– A Star is Born

12. All That Jazz– Chicago

11. Take Me or Leave Me– Rent

10. Time Warp– Rocky Horror Picture Show

9. Cabaret– Cabaret

8. Do-Re-Mi– Sound of Music

7. You’re the One That I Want– Grease

6. Memory– Cats

TOP 5

5. When I Grow Up– Matilda

4. Over the Rainbow– The Wizard of Oz

3. As Long As He Needs Me– Oliver!

2. Defying Gravity– Wicked

And my all time favourite song from a musical is….

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1. One Day More– Les Miserables

And for the record, my all time favourite musical is Oliver! I could have made this top 15 up with the majority of songs from Oliver!, but you’ll probably be thankful that I restrained myself. So any other fans of musicals out there? Which is your favourite song from a musical? And which is your all time favourite musical?

I have loved Wicked for 12 years. I was in NYC with my mom in 2006. All I can remember about my first experience was that “Popular” was my favorite song.

The 2nd time, which was either 2008, 2009, or 2010, was better than the 1st.

2013, the 3rd time was even better than the 2nd.

2016, the 4th time was better than the 3rd time. See each time I see Wicked, the show just gets better and better. The show matures and the emotions deepen. I am only emotionally connected to three characters: Elphaba (my all-time favorite musical character), Glinda, and Fiyero. I am surprised that each time I see Wicked, I always discover something new. I loved it for 12 and it still is fresh and new and still spectacular: carries my vision of musicals perfectly.

Les Mis, which entered my life through the film, challenged what I had known about musicals. Prior, I led myself to believed ALL musicals were HAPPY. I had known sad was a musical emotion, but not HEARTBREAK. So Les Mis would show me a side to musicals I never knew existed. So it went against what I was led to believe- that is a lot of why it is meaningful to believe.

I am always asked to choose one- I am like it is basically comparing apples and oranges- they are severely different- why choose- no way

Oh god, Les Mis is so heartbreaking. Anne Hathaway just stole that whole entire film for me. I’ve only seen Wicked once in 2008 in London. I just remember my heart beating so fast- I loved it so much and I was in tears by the end of Defying Gravity. It’s truly wonderful. You are so very lucky that to have seen it 4 times.

The first time I saw the film, after Fantine died, I was like “wait Les Mis is tragic, musicals aren’t supposed to be TRAGIC”. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to respond or anything. I was confused and shocked. I had a hard time paying attention after that. At the end of that film, I had no idea if I was a fan of Les Mis or not. I was like was that TOO DEPRESSING. Despite that, I started researching Les Mis anyways.

For whatever reason in March 2013, I gave that movie a 2nd chance. Since I knew it was going to be tragic coming in, I was able to calm down. I started to realize there is something special about Les Mis. I defiantly began to be a Les Mis fan.

By summer 2013, I was obsessed with Les Mis. That Nov, I saw the stage show for the first time. It was at my community college and it was professionally made- I saw it once with family and twice as an usher. That production was the motor for wanting to see it in London.

2015- that quickly I ended up seeing Les Mis in London. If it wasn’t for my family choir being invited to be in residence at Bristol Cathedral that year, I still would be waiting for that dream to come true. Since they were in residence, a pilgrimage was planned around that- not just the choir was asked to be part of it- that is why I was able to go. This pilgrimage began in London- my mom and I saw Les Mis together.

2017- what do you know happened? The latest North American tour was launched. I faced a major dilemma. See it in my hometown or see with Gardner Webb in Greenville. I been to the Peace Center in Greenville and Ovens in Charlotte. I choose Greenville (after all it was my last year at GW). I made the smart decision not to compare the cast or staging to who I saw in London- to get the most out of the cast and the experience.

So in a short period of time, saw the stage show 5 times all because of timing

I remember it being November or December 2014, my parents telling me we were going up two days early, that was when I started convincing my parents to take me to Les Mis. Then in 2014, I was told I was going to be seeing some show in London- I was “what show”. All Spring 2015, I wasn’t hearing anything about what show that could be- I was getting impatient about hearing.

Then June 2015 hit, my mom decided to text me French Flag Emojis and Musical Note Emojis. I was puzzled- I didn’t know what they meant. She told me to check my email- when I saw the word- Les Misérables- I ran up to my mom crying. I just could not believe I really was seeing Les Mis in London.

The day came- July 30th, 2015- I remember looking at the Queen’s Theatre- it still did not seem real. Just looking at it- even buying souvenirs- even noticing how close I was to the stage (we were in the 9th row)- even seeing the set. It was the first note that told me- yes this is no dream- this dream is becoming reality and this is going to be more than expected, and yes it was more than expected.

I love musicals. The Sound of Music is in my top three films. I don’t just know the words of the songs, but I can almost recite the script. When I was a child cinemas didn’t just show films when they first came out, so I saw The Sound of Music quite a few times before it was shown on TV.

Musicals often have very serious themes. West Side Story is about gang warfare. Chicago is about murder and corruption. The Sound of Music is about the Nazi invasion of Austria.

If I’m a bit down in the dumps, an hour or so with Fred and Ginger will always pick me up again.

Sound of Music is such a good film. It’s great for cold Sunday afternoons for all the family. But yes, so many musicals cover quite depressing subjects. There’s always room for a song and dance though- no matter what’s happening in your life. Even if the Nazis are after you.

I’m not a massive musical fan, but the ones I love I LOVE! Every single song from Sweet Charity, Grease, Blues Brothers, Mary Poppins. As a kid I was in my dancing school’s production of Oliver, so all those songs have a special place in my heart. I’ve not seen Dreamgirls, but that version by Jennifer Hudson floors me every time I hear it. Just reading the title gave me goosebumps. Great post and selections. 😊

Thank you so much. I love all 4 of those musicals you mentioned. Blues Brothers was just brilliant. Aretha in that was perfect. Oh I was in a school production of Oliver too, so I think that might be one of the reasons I love it so much too. And oh yes Jennifer Hudson singing that song is just all the feels.

Hubby is obsessed with Oliver and definitely would put Consider Yourself as top of that list 😁 I love Les Mis and Wicked, but as a kid I was obsessed with Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals so I’d like to add anything from Calamity Jane and Oklahoma to that list 😉